Topic: DAC latency integrated in reported driver latency of an audio app?

Hey RME guys and forum people,

as a software drummer I'm curious if the reported ASIO driver output latency (reported by audio apps like DAWs) includes the DA conversion. If yes, what is the value in ms/samples? And is it also related to the sample rate? And do I have to subtract it when the interface is digitally (i.e. SPDIF) connected to an external DA device (and add the DA latency of this external device)?

And what about AD conversion: does it also have relevant latency and if yes, is the value similar to DAC?

Thanks for your answers in advance!

Re: DAC latency integrated in reported driver latency of an audio app?

Hey RME crew, wrong place for such a question? In that case please tell me where to post this.

3 (edited by fieldstu 2020-10-21 09:48:30)

Re: DAC latency integrated in reported driver latency of an audio app?

not crew. but what is the chain of devices are you're aiming to connect?

ADI2, Digiface, ARC

4

Re: DAC latency integrated in reported driver latency of an audio app?

That's all answered in the manual, and of course the latency includes AD and DA. How else could you overdub with audio in place?

Regards
Matthias Carstens
RME

Re: DAC latency integrated in reported driver latency of an audio app?

I connect audio out to a different device via SPDIF. When Cubase tells me 3,33ms output latency, what can I subtract because of no DAC within this system? Can't find anything about subtracting values when digitally connected in the manuals. Can you please tell me the pages? (Fireface400, FirefaceUC, Babyface). Thanks.

6

Re: DAC latency integrated in reported driver latency of an audio app?

Here are the manuals:

http://www.rme-audio.de/downloads/fface_uc_e.pdf

http://www.rme-audio.de/downloads/fface400_e.pdf

http://www.rme-audio.de/downloads/bface_e.pdf

They all include a chapter 'Latency and Monitoring' which includes the exact numbers for AD- and DA-conversion. Doing a RTL test with your DAW you might have to subtract a few more samples due to internal processing to get them fully sample aligned using a digital loopback. Also the processing or AD/DA time of your external device needs to be taken into account.

Instead of reading and calculating for hours I would just ping and adjust it within the DAW.

Regards
Matthias Carstens
RME

Re: DAC latency integrated in reported driver latency of an audio app?

Nice! Thank you very much, Matthias!